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It was the joy that struck me. In the midst of kids talking and babies screaming, in the midst of the lightening flashing outside, in the midst of dirty paper plates and napkins scattered across the tables...There was joy.
An unashamed, bubbling over joy in the grace and salvation we have in Jesus.

And we sang...
God is ableHe will never failHe is almighty GodGreater than all we seekGreater than all we askHe has done great things

I could hear Natty to my front left singing beautiful harmony. A whole group of kids to my back left talking and totally not paying attention to the worship.

And we sang...
Lifted up, He defeated the graveRaised to life, our God is ableIn His name, we overcomeFor the Lord, our God is able

I closed my eyes and raised my hands and tried to soak it all up. All the distracting, joyous noises. All of the sounds of singing rising to heaven. All the joy bubbling up and over in my heart.

And we sang...
God is with usGod is on our sideHe will make a wayFar above all we knowFar above all we hopeHe has done great things

I didn't care if I was the only one worshiping, although I knew I was not. I was just rejoicing in my salvation. Rejoicing in the great things He has done in me. Sometimes, when you've been a Christian a long time, you don't often feel that joy of redemption, the sweetness of freedom. You forget...it wrongly becomes about other things. Not in that moment. In that moment I was deeply grateful in all that God had done for me.

And we sang...
God is with usHe will go beforeHe will never leave usHe will never leave us

And I listened to the words and claimed them as my own and in all the crazy, messy chaos going on around me, I rejoiced in my salvation! And rejoiced for those getting baptized that day, for those publicly professing their freedom and faith in Christ.

And we sang...
God is for usHe has open armsHe will never fail usHe will never fail us

And then we went outside and watched three women get baptized...and it was beautiful. To watch them stand and declare their faith publicly. To rejoice with them. To celebrate all God is doing in them!